FACTORS IMPACTING E-LEARNING AMID COVID-19: A CASE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AT A SELECTED UNIVERSITY IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

E-learning has gained momentum since the struck of the Covid-19 pandemic globally. The transition to e-learning in higher education institutions was anticipated to commence as the fourth industrial revolution is gradually looming in South Africa. The overall introduction of e-learning in higher education institutions has been regarded as a measure to enhance the state of academics through digital platforms. It is worth noting that high-standard education is one of the contributing factors to economic growth. Nonetheless, such transformation requires adequate decision-making suitable for the environmental progressive predicaments which hinders the reliability of enhancing the standards of education with specific reference to a previously disadvantaged University. It is with such a predicament that the researchers found it valuable to study the factors impacting e-learning amid Covid-19 within the Department of Public Administration at the selected University. The objectives of the study entail determining the factors impacting e-learning amid Covid-19 within the Department of Public Administration, determining the impact of e-learning on students' performance within the Department of Public Administration, assessing strategies to deal with factors impacting e-learning amid Covid-19 within the Department of Public Administration, and recommending a socio-economic disparity-based, decentralised, and localised implementation of Disaster Management Act of 2002 in terms of similar unforeseen crises in tertiary institutions. The study employed the qualitative research design through the guidelines of interpretivism philosophy. Through the implementation of the study philosophy, data collection instruments entail semi-structured interviews and documents used for referral through the alignment of existing views and data collected by the researchers. The study revealed that there are several e-learning factors determined amid Covid-19; such as lack of skills, poor network connectivity, affordability crisis, unconducive environments, and communication barriers. These factors emanated as a result of failure to develop proper decision-making prior introducing the transition to e-learning. As a result, there is still a need for proper planning to enhance academics within the Department of Public Administration at the selectied University.